


Ace

by BulletStrong



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Asexual Henry, Coming Out, F/F, Gen, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 01:30:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10061834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BulletStrong/pseuds/BulletStrong
Summary: Henry tells his moms something important. Swan Queen.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, I believe I'm somewhere on the asexual spectrum. I'm not really sure where I fit in yet.
> 
> But today I read a post by an asexual Swen and they were upset by the lack of support we, as a fandom, display for asexual representation and other important topics. I felt awful that they felt unsupported by their fellow LGBTQ and Swen. So I wrote this as a contribution of my support for my ace brothers and sisters. 
> 
> I'm not very secure in who I am yet but I tried to be as respectful about this as I could, and I hope it's okay! If anything bothers you, please contact me and I can edit or delete this story. After all, this is about you guys and your feelings. 
> 
> But I hope you enjoy. Thanks!

Emma glanced toward Regina and let her eyes dart to the lean thigh peeking from beneath a tight red dress. The two had been summoned to the Mansion by their son through a desperate toned text message. The kid had been withdrawn after his break up with Violet. Loss of first love could do that. Emma knew first hand. Though looking at Regina made her feel like she truly never loved before. Not that the brunette would ever find out. 

They kept tip toeing around their feelings, ignoring the fact that their cheek kisses kept migrating just a bit closer to the mouth as the months went by. She knew it was inevitable. Regina felt inevitable to her. 

"Do you think he'll finally tell us what has been bothering him?" Regina shifted and that damn dress slide up and exposed more of that luscious thigh. Emma fought to tear her eyes away. She failed. Regina noticed and smirked.

Emma coughed behind her hand to hide a blush. "I hope so. He's been so miserable."

The brunette hummed quietly as she looked toward the high ceiling. "Yes, he has. It's been so long since I've seen this low mood in him. It's startling, to say the least."

"He's resilient. Whatever it is, he has us by his side." She looked at that thigh one more time before standing to stretch her legs. Henry was late. He had texted them to meet him after school, at three thirty, but the clock showed four on the dot. Emma was about to start pacing when she heard the front door creak open. She looked to Regina, who was looking at the foyer, and listened to Henry drop his backpack and discard his shoes.

"Moms?" Emma responded to him softly after hearing the nervous twinge in his voice and the boy trudged into the room and into the chair across from his mothers. 

"Hello, my little prince." Regina peered at Emma as she patted the spot next to her on the couch. The blonde took the spot happily, especially when she felt the warmth of that thigh. They both looked to Henry, who was wringing his hands and staring blankly at the hardwood floors under his shoes.

"Kid?" Henry sighed at Emma's inquiry but finally looked at his mom's and cleared his throat. He looked so serious, so mature, like a grown man with his patchy stubble and gelled hair. Puberty had been kind to the kid. Henry cleared his throat once more.

"I've been thinking about things lately, ever since my break up with Violet. I started to realize things about myself, things that I was scared to put into words, if I could even find them. As the Author, you'd think that'd be easy, but it's simpler to tell the stories of others than to fish around in your own head and figure yourself out. I've always felt out of character." He paused for a moment, licked his lips. 

"I grew up reading fairytales, being literally surrounded and captivated by them, and I always believed that a section of the path to a happy ending could be finding your romantic true love, the person that completes you. I watched grandma and grandpa preach about it for years. That's one of the things I want for myself, but I'm afraid that what I'm about to say out loud for the first time will jeopardize that hope. I'm scared..."

"Henry, you can tell us anything." Regina whispered, seemingly unable to make her voice reach a normal decibel when her son was so distraught. She looked like she wanted to spring out of her seat and tackle him into a hug so Emma reached for her hand and squeezed. He needed space to get out his truth, whatever it may be.

The teen shifted in his seat. "Violet and I kissed for the first time and I felt nothing. It became a chore, something I did because it was what's expected in a romantic relationship. She never pushed for anything else. We cuddled a few times and held hands, and that was okay. It felt comfortable enough. But eventually she started to kiss me with more passion--"

"Hen--"

"This is important. Please, Emma, just listen?" Both women nodded, though they were unsure where this conversation was headed exactly.

"She started asking for more from me. She wanted to take things to the next level and I just... I didn't. It didn't feel right. It didn't feel like something I would do. I felt so much anxiety just thinking about the possibility of going further than a peck on the lips and some cuddling. There was dread in my gut every time she tried to push for more, until I couldn't take it and ended our relationship."

The two women were stunned at this. Most of the town was churning the rumor mill and spreading different speculations, but all stated that Violet had broken up with Henry for various ridiculous reasons. Leroy certainly had an imagination. Henry nodded at their disbelief, but didn't acknowledge it otherwise. Instead, he continued on.

"After we broke up, I went online and searched extensively to figure out what was wrong with me. I needed to know how I could fix this. I felt broken, like I was defected." Henry's red rimmed eyes became glassy and glossed over. He picked at his nails. "Why couldn't I just want to be with her like that? I thought maybe it was just her, like maybe we weren't compatible like that and we were better off as friends, but then I realized that it wasn't a one-off. It was me. It's me."

"Henry? Sweetheart, what are you saying?" Regina chimed in gently and urged him on with her tear filled eyes.

"I don't feel sexual attraction. I've never looked at a celebrity and thought about being with them like that. I've never been interested in doing it with anyone. I don't feel like others feel about sex or even intimacy. What I'm trying to say is that I'm... I'm asexual, moms." Henry froze, as if the words shocked him. Time stood still for a second, then two, then ten, until Regina's son broke the silence. Henry reared back, immediately tense, but Regina waved her hand reassuringly at him and looked into his eyes fiercely.

"You are not defected. You hear me, Henry? You are perfect just the way you are. You are our son and we love all of you, every part." Regina's hand flew to her chest and pressed on her breast bone to soothe her racing heart. "I love you so much, Henry. Please, come here. I need you to come here."

By the time he fell into his brunette mothers arms, he was choking back tears. Emma smiled at their tight embrace and caught Henry's gaze as his head laid on Regina's now soaked-with-tears shoulder. She mouthed that she loved him as she caressed his hair, putting ruffled stray pieces back into place. His eyes slowly shut with something akin to relief. Before the moment passed, Emma cupped his cheek.

"Henry, you will find love, if that's what you want. You can find someone that feels like you do about sex and intimacy or you could find someone that respects your feelings about it. Happy endings come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and sexualities, and no one is more deserving of true love than you. You hear what I'm saying?" 

He did, loud and clear. Emma smiled lovingly at Regina and Henry before grinning and adding, "And don't forget your first true loves! We're right here and always will be here!" 

Henry smirked devilishly, "You know where you should be heading though?" 

"Where?" 

"Into each other's arms. Moms, you guys are kind of disgustingly good together so put us all out of our misery and kiss already. There's a bet going on and if you kiss by Sunday, Zelena and Grandma owe me twenty bucks."


End file.
